The Sworn Sword

I drowned in water that did not even come up to my neck. He laughed, then groaned in pain. ""Ser Lucas?""

""Dead. Did you doubt it?""

No. Dunk doubted many things, but not that. He remembered how the strength had gone out of the Longinch's limbs, all at once. ""Egg"", he got out. ""I want Egg"".

""Hunger is a good sign"", the maester said, ""but it is sleep you need just now, not food"".

Dunk shook his head, and regretted it at once. ""Egg is my squire.. "".

""Is he? A brave lad, and stronger than he looks.

He was the one to pull you from the stream. He helped us get that armor off you, too, and rode with you in the wayn when we brought you here. He would not sleep himself, but sat by your side with your sword across his lap, in case someone tried to do you harm. He even suspected me, and insisted that I taste anything I meant to feed you. A queer child, but devoted"".

""Where is he?""

""Ser Eustace asked the boy to attend him at the wedding feast. There was no one else on his side.

It would have been discourteous for him to refuse"".

""Wedding feast?"" Dunk did not understand.

""You would not know, of course. Coldmoat and Standfast were reconciled after your battle. Lady Rohanne begged leave of old Ser Eustace to cross his land and visit Addam's grave, and he granted her that right. She knelt before the blackberries and began to weep, and he was so moved that he went to comfort her. They spent the whole night talking of young Addam and my lady's noble father.

Lord Wyman and Ser Eustace were fast friends, until the Blackfyre Rebellion. His lordship and my lady were wed this morning, by our good Septon Sefton. Eustace Osgrey is the lord of Coldmoat, and his chequy lion flies beside the Webber spider on every tower and wall"".

Dunk's world was spinning slowly all around him. That potion. He's put me back to sleep. He closed his eyes, and let all the pain drain out of him. He could hear the ravens quork ing and screaming at each other, and the sound of his own breath, and something else as well… a softer sound, steady, heavy, somehow soothing.

""What's that?"" he murmured sleepily. ""That sound?.. "".

""That?"" The maester listened. ""That's just rain"".

He did not see her till the day they took their leave.

""This is folly, ser"", Septon Sefton complained, as Dunk limped heavily across the yard, swinging his splinted foot and leaning on a crutch.